Winston Duke and Deion Sanders Are Secret Gamers in Google Chromebook’s Latest Campaign

Production studio HOUND and director Isaac Rentz have unveiled their latest campaign for Google Chromebook with Opus United agency, featuring Black Panther star Winston Duke and American football icon Deion Sanders. The pair of 30” spots see Winston and Deion playing themselves, secretly gaming when they are supposed to be working. Set in a glamorous home office in LA, we watch as Winston Duke, who is supposed to be reading scripts and preparing for his next Hollywood role, is secretly gaming on his Chromebook. Remarking on the laptop’s high quality visuals, his comments are  misinterpreted by his agent who humorously assumes he is talking about a script.

Played by American actress Stacy Kaney, the agent showcases a humorous mixture of desperation and enthusiasm as she asks about the script he is yet to glance at. However, the comedic moment comes when she catches Winston gaming; she is shocked he is using a Chromebook to do so and watches in amazement next to him.

Continuing on the playful concept of secretly gaming in the workplace, the second spot stars Deion Sanders and his two footballer sons, Shilo and Shedeur. Set in the player's locker room, Deion secretly games from behind his desk, watched on by his sons who look on as the famous coach admires the quality of the graphics on his Chromebook. Humorously, his sons think their dad is remarking on their sports performance and begin to quarrel over whose ‘tape’ their father is praising.  

Collaborating closely with Google to spotlight the Chromebook’s impressive gaming capabilities, director Isaac Rentz kept the script light-hearted and loose in both films, including lots of improvisation from Winston, who experimented with various reactions and tones to achieve an authentic feel. Taking full advantage of Winston’s unmatched comedic timing and Deion’s true-to-life performance as he interacts with his sons, Isaac was keen to stay clear from the static and rigid style typically seen in comedy spots by incoprating a loose handheld style and natural lighting to compliment the naturalistic dialogue. 

Isaac Rentz, director at HOUND, comments: “Google gave us the creative freedom to keep things loose with this campaign, which allowed us to move away from the standard comedy spot style and create more of a workplace sitcom feel. I loved the concept of the spots because everyone can relate to using their work computers for play, whether it's gaming, doomscrolling twitter, or online shopping. Every time I'm in a zoom meeting I have to avoid the temptation to check reddit or shop for deals on running shoes.